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Clearfield girls soccer returns depth
Wednesday, September 02, 2009
By Rich Murawski Assistant Sports Editor
HYDE - When you can nearly field an 11-on-11 practice game comprised of returning letterwinners, you know that depth and experience should be strengths of the team.
That is the luxury the Clearfield girls soccer team has been afforded this year with the return of 17 letterwinners from last season's District 9 Class AAA runner-up.
"We started slow last year, but finished strong," Lady Bison head coach Jen Wright said.
"We had a lot of underclassmen playing at the varsity level. So we definitely have depth this year with a lot of returning letterwinners. We're looking to be a strong contender for the District 9 Championship."
Seniors Lisa Bumbarger, Brandie Centi, Matalica Jarvis, Jessica Maines, Brooke Mohney, Katlyn Reddinger, Jayme Ryan and Janell Zalno, juniors CG Anderson, Emily Barger, Rebecca Davis and Hannah Reifer and sophomores Julia Ammerman, B.J. Bowman, Kristen Butler, Candice Morgan and Nichole Powers give Clearfield a plethora of quality pieces to build around.
And their presence along with several others who have experience in the program has made practice this year smooth and productive.
"We have 24 players returning to the program and just three newcomers," Wright said.
"It's a lot easier to jump into things in practice because you only have four players to introduce to them instead of 10-plus. So most of the girls know the ropes and can show the younger players and help them."
The eight senior letterwinners, along with classmates Samantha Boulton and Taylor Casher have taken on the task of leadership, which has been very positive for Wright.
"Having 10 seniors on the team all stepping up into leadership roles in one form or another is really nice," she said.
With the strong leadership being displayed by the seniors and the overall familiarization with the program for most of the girls, team unity has become a big asset for the 2009 Lady Bisons.
"Team unity is definitely a strength," Wright said. "We did a team sleepover at the school and that was a lot of fun with the girls interacting with each other outside of soccer."
Add in depth and experience, and the recipe for a solid season is there for Clearfield.
"We have some experience, which is great to have," Wright said. "It's every coach's dream. You wish you had that every season.
"And the depth is nice, too. When we make a sub, we're not going to lose a beat. We have confidence to put another player in to give one of our starters a breather, which is going to be great."
Yet another strength this season is versatility. Nearly every letterwinner can and will see time all over the field this year.
"We have such a versatile group that we can play numerous players in several positions," Wright said. "And that will help a lot when it comes time to game plan for certain situations."
Bumbarger played sweeper a year ago, but can also play inside mid and forward. Mohney played forward and inside mid, and she can also play a defensive role. Zalno, Ryan and Reddinger are all flexible, as well, and can play midfield or defense.
Butler is able to line up at outside mid, inside mid and forward. Morgan can play stopper, sweeper, defense and outside mid, while Powers can hold down inside mid and stopper and potentially play defense.
Reifer will see time at forward and defense. Ammerman is a strong outside mid and can be counted on to play defense as well. Maines can go inside or forward, and Barger is adept as a defender or outside mid.
Returning leading scorer Bowman will most likely be a forward again, but can play keeper if called upon. Centi is the returning keeper, and that is probably where she is going to stay, according to Wright.
Anderson normally plays a forward position, Davis is the stopper and Jarvis is usually an outside mid.
With a flexible and deep roster, it's easy to see why the Lady Bisons have set their goals on a district title.
"We had a meeting about our team vision, and one of the big things was winning the District 9 Championship," Wright said.
"Every coach strives for that. But I asked the team what they wanted, and that was their goal, too. They also want to be a .500 team or better. They want to have more shutouts. And they want to have more fun as a team on and off the field."
Helping Wright with the coaching duties are volunteers Marikaye DeTemple and Brandon McQuillen and new assistant Laurie Chrisafulli, who played soccer at Westmont-Hilltop.
"She was hired by the school district to be the new Spanish teacher," Wright said.
"She is really fitting in well. She started the program with a scrimmage and then the sleepover. She's great to have. She's already stepping in and doesn't miss a beat."
Clearfield opens its season Saturday at the Bellefonte Tournament. Roster
Seniors
Samantha Boulton, *Lisa Bumbarger, Taylor Casher, *Brandie Centi, *Matalica Jarvis, *Jessica Maines, *Brooke Mohney, *Katlyn Reddinger, *Jayme Ryan, *Janell Zalno.
Juniors
*CG Anderson, *Emily Barger, *Rebecca Davis, Caroline Herres, *Hannah Reifer.
Sophomores
*Julia Ammerman, *B.J. Bowman, *Kristen Butler, Breanna Dale, Briana Ianaro, Mia Keener, *Candice Morgan, Melinda Owens, *Nichole Powers, Brooklyn Richards.
Freshmen
Taylor Dixon, Sabrinna Schwartz.
*Denotes returning letterwinners.
Schedule
September
5-at Bellefonte Tournament, TBA; 12-at Karns City, noon; 15-at DuBois, 5 p.m.; 17-Punxsutawney; 19-at Altoona Lady Lion Classic, 10 a.m.; 21-at St. Marys; 22-at Altoona, 5:30 p.m.; 28-Hollidaysburg; 30-State College.
October
5-DuBois; 7-at Punxsutawney, 6:15 p.m.; 13-St. Marys; 15-Brookville; 20-at State College, 5:30 p.m.; 26-at Hollidaysburg; 29-at Bradford, 4:15 p.m.
Matches begin at 4 p.m. unless noted.
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